


The Storm

by Callaeidae3, lechaton17



Series: Late Night Spontaneous Fic Writing [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Accidents, Angst, Gen, Head Injury, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, Pre-Kerberos Mission, Seizures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-13 20:56:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17495231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Callaeidae3/pseuds/Callaeidae3, https://archiveofourown.org/users/lechaton17/pseuds/lechaton17
Summary: Shiro and Keith are out hoverbiking when a bad storm hits. While Shiro has the level of skill to counter the winds, Keith isn't quite so advanced at riding in stormy weather conditions yet...





	The Storm

The storm comes out of nowhere. The forecast had said it due to come in, but it wasn’t expected to hit the area until tomorrow. Now Keith and Shiro are caught in it, no helmets, no goggles and no rain coat, and somehow - _somehow_ \- they’ve got to navigate their way back to the Garrison before it gets dark or else they’ll be stuck out here with nothing but the hoverbikes and each other.

The wind rages, rain pelting them, making it difficult to see. They had been following a river, flying right alongside it, and already the water next to them was rising at an alarming rate. Shiro leads the way, Keith close behind him. He needs to lead them back both safely and quickly, and that’s not the easiest thing to do in the weather conditions they are stuck in.

A particularly strong gust of wind hits them, and although Shiro is able to brace himself through it, a yell and a crash from behind him tells him that Keith was not as lucky. But the gust is followed by an even stronger one, Shiro’s experience and firm hold on the handlebars the only thing preventing his bike from careening into the river. He can’t risk turning around to check on Keith in case the wind slams into him and that happens. The only thing he can do is grit his teeth and ride it out.

His heart pounds wildly in his chest, his worry for Keith and his fear for what might happen threatening to overtake him. He needs to keep it together if he wants to get through this storm and be able to help Keith. Finally the wind calms enough that he is able to get a better control over his hoverbike, and he turns around to see what happened to Keith.

Or rather, what happened to the hoverbike Keith had been riding a few moments ago.

The nose of the hoverbike is wedged between the river bank and a giant boulder. Half the bike is submerged in the water, tail stuck up in the air like a warning flag.

Keith himself is nowhere to be seen.

Again the panic grips Shiro, and it takes all of his energy to fight it. He looks around wildly, flying over to where Keith’s hoverbike is lodged. Every second feels like a minute-an hour-and Shiro can only start to guess that Keith might be somewhere in the rising river.

And then he sees it- Keith’s hand emerge from the rush of river water. Shiro barely has time to register what it means before Keith is pulled back under.

Another gust of wind blows, buffeting him. Shiro’s feet move with automatically, pushing him in the opposite direction of where he saw Keith’s hand disappear. Shiro roars against the wind and fights it, digging his heels into the ground and forcing his legs towards the river. When the wind lets up he staggers forward and when it blows again he stumbles back, but he doesn’t relent.

But the water is rushing towards him. As long as he makes it to the bank in time, he’ll be able to catch Keith as the river’s current drags him along. Provided the water’s not too deep, of course, and that Keith’s managing to stay as close to the surface and this bankside as the pull of the river will let him.

Shiro knows that Keith won’t be able to fight the current for long, and he needs to move quickly and carefully to make sure that he can grab Keith and also not end up in the river himself. Shiro fights his way to the riverbank, nearly slipping and falling more than one. He braces himself against a large rock, hoping that the rock will at least prevent the wind from blowing him into the river.

Squinting against the dust being blown about, he scans the river from his position to the hoverbike. No sign of Keith. The wind howls and whistles through the rocks all around. It sweeps along the river, flicking up spray as though it wants to hasten its flow, but still there’s no sight or sound of Keith. For a heart-stopping moment, Shiro wonders if Keith’s already floated past him and he missed it while he was so busy fighting the wind to get here.

But then the wind moans at too low a pitch and too close a distance and Shiro’s heart leaps out of his chest. The moan turns into a choked cough. Shiro traces the sound right back to his feet and his eyes land on a figure hidden in the shadow of the very boulder he’s standing on.

“Keith!” he gasps, though his voice is carried away by the wind. He stumbles down to where Keith lay, drenched and shivering and choking. Shiro’s hands shake as he turns Keith on to his side, hoping that it will help get some of the water out of his lungs. Keith chokes and coughs, and Shiro’s heart seizes with fear and worry. Keith is struggling to breathe, they are still a good while away from the Garrison, the storm isn’t getting any better-

Shiro stops and takes a deep, somewhat shaky breath. He can do this. “Keith!” he shouts over the wind. “You need to breathe, buddy! Get it up!”

With a horrible shudder, Keith’s whole upper body convulses. Shiro holds him steady, one hand pounding his back when the water gets stuck in Keith’s throat, caught between the need to breathe and vomit. Shiro notices that Keith’s still lying in the water, but he waits until Keith’s stopped coughing up river water before he moves him.

That is, Shiro is about to move him until he spots the trickle of blood running down the centre of Keith’s forehead.

This was worse than Shiro had feared. Not only had Keith half drowned in the water, but now he had to worry about a head injury as well, not to mention other possible injuries that Keith could have. Keith took another shuddering breath, and then his whole body began to seize. It took Shiro a second to realize that this wasn’t just Keith choking up water- he was having a seizure.

_Oh no._

Rocks. He had to get him away from -

Keith’s arm jerks backwards, his hand slapping the boulder hard enough to bruise. His legs kick at the water, his body curling, spasming. Shiro wraps his arms around Keith’s chest and pulls him against himself before Keith has a chance to hit his head on the rocks surrounding him.

Instead it’s Shiro’s chest that takes the impact. He holds his breath, trying to count the seconds over the raging of the wind and the screaming of fears inside his own head. Trying to stay calm. Trying not to lose it.

All Shiro can do for a moment is hold Keith, as the wind and rain continue to rage around them. Shiro can barely hear the storm anymore. He’s too focused on Keith, and the blood on Keith’s head, and how weak Keith’s breaths sound. Shiro realizes in that moment how much Keith means to him. He had watched him grow, and learn, and open up to Shiro. He’d watched Keith learn how to smile again, even if the smile was uncertain at times. Keith had become a brother to him, and Shiro could not bear the thought of losing him.

Thirty-one seconds and Keith’s body finally stills. Somehow Shiro finds enough calm to remember to check for broken bones, but thankfully it appears there are none. The main concern is the head injury…and the near drowning...and the cold…

They can’t stay out here. Shiro could carry Keith to some shelter nearby but they don’t have time to wait for someone to come and rescue them. They might not even have to time to wait out the storm. _Keith_ might not have that time.

Shiro will have no choice but to fly them both back to the Garrison. Just the thought alone terrifies him. Keith is weak and barely conscious, and it was difficult enough to try and fly through the storm before the crash. But Shiro has to do something. He’s going to have to be able to both keep Keith steady on the hoverbike and fly the hoverbike through the storm at the same time.

It seems impossible, for just a moment. But Shiro can’t afford to waste time worrying about it. It’s either he flies them back and get Keith help, or they stay stuck out here in the storm. And Shiro can’t allow that. He can’t allow Keith to die out here.

“Shhh...Sh’rrrro.”

Shiro blinks. Keith’s staring blankly, eyes unfocused, at the river and the rocks in front of them. Water dribbles down his chin as he tries to say something, but there’s no sound to the words, only the movement of lips. Shiro takes it all in, the injuries, Keith’s out of it state and the shivering that now has begun in earnest.

“Keith,” he says loudly. “I’m going to have to move you, okay?”

Of course, Keith doesn’t answer. He doesn’t show any sign of having heard or comprehended Shiro’s words.

_Time to move._

Shiro gathers him up in his arms, as carefully as he can. Keith’s body shivers uncontrollably in his arms. Shiro hopes that his own body heat is enough to sustain Keith until they get back to the Garrison, but Shiro’s not that warm either and there is no protecting them from the wind and rain. Unfortunately there isn’t much more he can do. All that he can do is move as quickly as possible and get Keith the help that he needs.

Getting on the hoverbike isn’t an easy task; Shiro has to climb on awkwardly with Keith still in his arms. He maneuvers Keith so Keith is leaning back into him, one of Shiro’s arms holding him in place. Shiro’s heart is racing again, and he tries not to think about what might happen if he crashes his hoverbike on the way back to the Garrison.

As a last second thought, he strips off his jacket and uses it to secure Keith to himself, tying the sleeves around in front of Keith’s chest like a seatbelt. Two arms will get them home better than one will.

The wind’s still blowing, the storm’s still raging, but Shiro isn’t known as the Galaxy Garrison’s best pilot for nothing.

 

The flight back is wild. Normally Shiro would be exhilarated by the thrill of having to ride with such precision, but this is beyond the threshold of enjoyable. He’s basically Keith’s lifeline until they’re out of the storm.

By the time they get back, Shiro’s arms ache terribly from keeping the bike steady, his hands shaking from the number of times he had to change gear and acceleration to adapt to the changes in wind speed. He parks the bike as close to the medical wing as he can, unties his jacket, gathers Keith in his arms and slides off the bike.

As soon as his boots touch the tarmac, he’s racing for the building.He doesn’t care about anything except Keith. The rain and the ache of his arms and the shocked glances from people mean nothing to him. Keith feels like he’s barely breathing in Shiro’s arms, and the fear is finally catching up to Shiro now that they made it back to the Garrison.

“Please!” he yells, his brain a flurry of fear and rain and Keith’s rasping breaths. “I need help!”

Suddenly people are rushing towards him, medics he can’t remember the names of. They want to take Keith out of his arms but Shiro is struggling to let him go. He just wants to hold Keith and let him know that everything will be okay. One of the medics is trying to talk to him, and Shiro has to blink away tears in order to see her clearly.

“You need to let us take him if you want us to help him. I promise you we will do everything that we can.”

Shiro’s fear has him clinging to Keith like letting him go will kill him. The flight back to the Garrison has worn him out, though, and the medics are able to pry Keith out of his arms without too much hassle. There’s a stretcher on the floor that wasn’t there before. Keith’s laid down on it, gently but hastily, and by the time Shiro’s mind can catch up to what’s happening, Keith’s gone, whisked away to be looked at.

“...was worried sick,” a kind voice is saying beside him. “We got the warning from the meteorologists just after you two had left, but we couldn’t reach you.”

Shiro draws in a shaky breath. “Sam?”

Ignoring the blood staining Shiro’s rain-soaked shirt, Sam Holt wraps his arm around. He’s warm and steady, and there’s a confidence in the set of his shoulders that reassures Shiro that they’re safe. That Keith’s safe. That Keith’s going to be okay.

Shiro feels the full weight of what had happened start to hit him. A sob escapes his throat and he clings to Sam desperately, the tears falling down his face. Shiro’s body is sore and frozen and his legs shake dangerously with the weight of his own body. Luckily Sam is there, steady and sure, helping to keep Shiro on his feet.

“I was so scared, Sam,” Shiro whispered. “The storm it just... and Keith was in the water, and h-he was seizing, and-”

Sam just hugs him tighter. “You got him back here, Shiro. You got him back here, and the medical team is going to take good care of him.”

“I was so scared!”

“I know.” Sam rubs Shiro’s back as the sobs grow in volume. “Keith’s in good hands. He’s going to be okay.”

Shiro nods into Sam’s shoulder. Some people are staring. Another hand on Shiro’s back and Adam’s there, moving to wrap his arm around Shiro’s shoulders. In Adam’s other hand is a towel which Shiro numbly accepts once he’s recovered enough to be able to see it through his tears.

He lets Adam guide him into a chair as he absently tries to dry himself. His tears subside and Shiro’s left feeling empty and yet afraid at the same time. The adrenaline that had pushed him to get Keith back here is fading fast, leaving him drained and exhausted.

But more than anything, he’s afraid for Keith. He needs to hear that Keith will be okay before he can let his body rest. So he fights the exhaustion, squeezing the towel in his hands, hoping that Sam was right and that Keith would be okay.

Shiro feels like he’s waiting for hours, though he doesn’t actually pay attention to the time. Adam offers to bring him coffee, but Shiro can’t even find his voice to answer him. Adam brings him some anyways, and Shiro sips at it, grateful to at least have something to do. Sam stays around too, though neither he nor Adam tries to get Shiro to talk. They wait in silence, and Shiro barely even looks at them.

Finally, one of the medics comes out to greet them. Shiro’s body moves without him even thinking about it; he’s up in seconds, the empty coffee cup collapsing in his grip. The medic smiles at him, and Shiro lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

“We have him stabilized,” she tells them. “You’re welcome to go back and sit with him now, if you’d like.”

Shiro wants nothing more than to see Keith, so he nods, still unable to find his voice, and follows the medic to the room where they are keeping Keith. The medic’s words haunt him though. Surely it shouldn’t have taken this long to have Keith stabilised? His mind is whirling with all the possibilities - all the implications the medics may have come across.

Did he have a skull fracture? Was his brain bleeding? Was the hypothermia almost too much for his body to cope with? What if he flatlined? Did he have another seizure? What about pneumonia from all the river water he inevitably swallowed?

Somehow he gets from the door, across the room and to the vacant chair waiting for him. His eyes never leave Keith’s face.

They’ve changed him out of his wet clothes and into a hospital gown. Blankets cover him, the multiple layers pulled up to his chin. On one side of the bed, the blankets are shaped into a little tunnel to keep Keith’s arm warm but allow room for the IV in the back of his hand. There’s a thick white bandage wrapped around Keith’s head, a slight bulk at the hairline in the centre of his forehead showing where gauze is pressed against the wound.

Keith looks so small and fragile buried by the blankets and surrounded by machines and wires. His face is pale, but a little color is creeping back into his cheeks. Shiro wants to reach out and hold his hand, but he’s afraid to touch him, and he isn’t sure his hands are even warm enough. He isn’t sure of the extent of Keith’s injuries, but the steady beat of the heart monitor and rise and fall of Keith’s chest is enough to at least assure him that Keith is alive. Keith is alive, and Shiro made it back in time.

The realization that he made it back in time to save Keith’s life finally hits him, and with that, so does his exhaustion. His brain finally gives in and Shiro is asleep in seconds.

 

* * *

 

 

The first thing Keith is able to comprehend is that he is warm. Not uncomfortably so, or at least, he doesn’t think so. He’s tired, as if he just woke up from a very long and deep sleep. He lays there, trying to get his brain to work. He doesn’t remember falling asleep. What was he even doing last? He tries to move, to even open his eyes, but his body feels heavy, like it hasn’t woken up yet. He tries to focus on what he can hear. Some sort of beeping. That’s pretty much it. He tries to figure out what the beeping might be. It’s annoying. Maybe that’s what woke him up.

He tries to move his head, and it hurts. His chest hurts too, badly. He’s not expecting it. He lets out a little groan unwillingly. What was he doing before he fell asleep?  

“Keith. It’s Shiro...can you hear me?”

Too tired to talk, Keith forces his eyes open. Everything’s blurry and the strain of keeping his eyes open just makes him want to go straight back to sleep. But then he sees Shiro leaning forward into focus, and all of a sudden he’s able to resist the pull to even nap.

“Sh’...?” Keith murmurs. “What happened?” His throat is sore. Was talking always this tiring?

Keith feels Shiro take his hand, squeezing it. Shiro smiles at him, but his smile is strained. Worried. “You...had a bit of an accident. Do you remember when we went hoverbiking? And the storm that hit us?”

Keith tries to remember, but he’s too tired and thinking takes too much effort. He tries to shake his head again, and winces involuntarily from the pain. “Sorry,” he mutters.

“What are you sorry for?” Shiro laughs softly, but the sound isn’t out of amusement. “It’s not your fault the storm came earlier than expected.”

“No...I mean I can’t remember.”

Shiro’s face falls. He tries to keep the fear from shining in his eyes but he fails. Keith sees it well and clear.

“I remember biking,” Keith says, trying to make an effort if it means that look doesn’t stay on Shiro’s face. “Just not...just not the storm coming.”

Shiro forces the sad smile again. “That’s okay. You….” Shiro sighs. His hand squeezes Keith’s again. “It’s okay if you don’t remember. All that matters now is that you’re safe and you’re going to be okay.”

Shiro’s face betrays his emotion. He’s saying this for his own benefit as much as Keith’s. Keith wonders what exactly happened, but he’s almost afraid to ask Shiro right now. Maybe later, when Shiro doesn’t look like he’s about to break.

_Must’ve been bad,_ Keith thinks. It would explain why he’s in hospital and his head hurts so much, why he’s so exhausted and why it feels like he swallowed gallons of water only to cough it all back up again.

Whatever happened, he has no idea. Shiro on the other hand does and it’s probably all he’s able to think about. Keith wishes he could reassure him more, even if it meant interrogating his memory so that he could tell Shiro that he did remember what happened. Maybe sharing the memory would lighten the emotional load Shiro has to carry right now. Or maybe a hug would. Or a joke.

He’s falling asleep again without realising it. He hears Shiro say something about it being okay to rest, and Keith tries to summon enough energy to tell Shiro that _he_ needs to rest, too, but sleep claims him before he can manage it.

Maybe he’ll tell him later...

 

 


End file.
